Spring is an excellent opportunity to examine our habits, assess our fresh food intake and consider our impact on the environment. This year, Clean Juice has a delicious answer to your spring eating clean-up. You’ll find a go-to juice whether you’re showing up to improve your immunity, pack more nutrients into your day or to kick the COVID-19. That is, the 19 pounds we’ve each gained binge watching crime docs and eating feta pasta straight from the casserole. I am not projecting; we both know your sodium intake has been abysmal since last spring.
This month, The Reader had the chance to chat with Angela Moran-Manzitto, franchise partner of the two Clean Juice locations in Nebraska, to talk about what makes CJ different from your standard juice joint.
The Clean Team
“My business partner (Sarah Peter) and I have always been in family health,” Moran-Manzitto said. “We had discussed starting a business together, and this issue of wanting to find something I could really celebrate and enjoy with my young children kept driving me toward organics, toward finding a health-minded concept to get behind. We had looked at a number of franchises, but Clean Juice was just – cleaner. There was a lot of honesty behind the product and how it was produced. What you see is what you get, made in-store from the top to the bottom.”
The product in question is a full menu of fresh, cold-pressed juices, the recipes for which are designed to aid in your body’s natural processes.
“Most of the juices you’ll find in the grocery store or even other juice spots are high-pressure pasteurized,” Moran-Manzitto said. “It extends the shelf life, but it also removes most of the nutrients. We cold-press in-house every day. It means a very short shelf life, but it also means you’re getting as much benefit from every drop as possible.”
But there’s more to this sweet little shop than fresh, organic, expertly formulated juices. You’ll find a full menu of wraps, salads, smoothies, avocado toast, and in colder months, hot and hearty organic soups.
“Ideas like organic living, having a plant-based diet and healthier living are becoming very popular in the Midwest. I don’t know that everyone saw that coming, since Nebraska is such a red-meat and potatoes place, but there are so many health-conscious people here. Clean Juice has given us a platform to offer an education and a delicious, healthy meal.”
Since opening their first location in Lincoln in 2019, the women have seen just how hungry Nebraska is for this kind of a shift.
Comparing Apples to Apple Juice
A nutrition analysis on a Clean Juice smoothie versus your standard fruit shake shack shows a stark contrast in both the nutrient value and the potential setback one could experience from making it part of your daily diet. Even when considering one of Clean Juice’s richer options, the difference is dramatic.
Clean Juice “The Chocolate One” (with Whey Protein)
Calories: 320
Sodium: 260g
Carbs: 46g
Sugar: 25g
Protein: 23g
Jamba Juice “Chocolate Moo’d”
Calories: 430
Sodium: 270mg
Carbs: 86g
Sugar: 77g
Protein: 11g
You’ll find yourself enjoying a great deal more bang for your buck, without shelling out the extra bucks for an upsize in jeans.
Try Something New
If you are already a high-anxiety diner who spends hours perusing menus and practicing placing your order before heading into a restaurant, visiting a new concept like Clean Juice may not be high on your priority list. The team’s approach to customer service is ready to make a believer out of you.
“We know that we do things very differently, and we want people to feel comfortable coming in and excited about coming back,” Moran-Manzitto said. “Our staff works hard to make people comfortable, to be very approachable and informative, and to help each person find exactly what they want. Our job is to welcome everyone, walk them through the menu and be patient while they build confidence in what we’re doing here. We understand people’s hesitance in coming into a new place like ours, and we want to be sure we’re giving them a rewarding experience with each visit.”
The future is already looking bright for Clean Juice, with a location at 1308 Jackson and another at 7811 Pioneers Blvd in Lincoln. A third location with a drive-through option is currently in talks, with an app on the table to make grab-and-go ordering a breeze. For now, you can call ahead and place your orders for quick pick-up at 402-403-9084 for the Omaha location or 402-417-0788 for the Lincoln location. For a look at the menu, hours and directions, visit cleanjuice.com.